Integrating Reason Racer into Instruction

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The role of the teacher often shifts when using games in the classroom. Integrating games into curriculum in a systemic, thoughtful process can maximize opportunities for student learning. The teacher should take into account the following considerations:

Before Class:

  • Determine when in the curriculum time frame to use Reason Racer, and how much time to set aside for it
  • Select the scenarios to use for the class and assign these to your class in the Reason Racer Teacher Portal
  • Create lesson plans that includes this game as a practice activity, to reinforce student learning of scientific argumentation and science content
  • Create modified materials for teaming students with special needs with other students in the class

In-Class, Before Play:

  • Link the game activity to what students previously know, or have studied about scientific argumentation
  • Frame and articulate the learning targets for students
  • Establish / review norms with students for using technology tools and online games in the classroom
  • Ensure technology tools are ready to be used (reserve computer lab/laptop cart, verify game url with school filter for student login, etc.)
  • Remind students of appropriate behavior:
    • Selecting names in the game
    • Reviewing how to comment to other students
    • Reviewing how to flag inappropriate comments

Initiating Play:

  • Provide a basic introduction for students in how to play the game
  • Establish social structures and norms for activity in class.
    • Students will play individually, but compete online with multiple players in the game site.
    • Competition occurs through a team of up to 20 students in a game.
    • Students advance through the game via speed and accuracy of answers.
    • The game involves “targeted play” and is based on the assumption that students will have many opportunities to play through a scenario and practice the process of scientific argumentation.

  • Discuss how guessing and errors slow down play, so paying attention and answering correctly helps complete the game at a faster rate.
  • Articulate a goal for student performance in terms of game-play that students should strive to achieve by end of period or activity (ie. increase speed/points through answering questions more accurately throughout the game)

During Play:

  • Provide students time for ‘open play’, without explicit instructions
  • Facilitate play of the game
    • Engage individual students in discussion around challenging aspects of game (teacher-student interaction)
    • Engage class in discussion around challenging aspects of game (teacher-class interaction)
    • Allow students to share out or show the class aspects of the game they have figured out, or think are interesting (student-class interaction, facilitated by teacher)
    • Pace students by providing facilitation around how long various aspects of the game should take (teacher-class interaction)
    • Assist individual students or groups with conceptual difficulties (teacher-student or teacher-group interaction)
  • Provide support for learners with special needs during play
  • Monitor student progress during play
  • Manage behavior and appropriate treatment of technology tools

After Play

  • Facilitate discussion about the science content used in the game, scientific argumentation, and student discussion from the final PitStop (where students choose to Accept, Reject or Withhold Judgment about the claim and state their justification for their choice)
  • Assess student learning by accessing the reports for the assigned scenario
  • Follow-up / extension / reflection activities within class


Resources

(if the "Download" link does not open properly, right-click the link and select "Save Link As..." or "Save As..." and save the file to your computer.)

Created by Pat McKinney for The Evidence Game Project at the University of Kansas. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License